The present application describes several illustrative embodiments of a document processing machine including in certain aspects an envelope opener. Certain machines are known for processing documents such as envelopes in which a portion of the documents is cut off. Such machines in which the documents are envelopes are commonly called envelope openers. In these machines, the envelopes are driven one by one, for example by belts, in a movement of longitudinal displacement on the surface of a horizontal table forming a support. A device for cutting off a portion of envelopes, in particular one of their edges, is disposed along the table, on one side, to be in contact portion of each envelope to be cut off.
A cutting device 1 is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1. It comprises a bottom cutter 2 and a top cutter 3 which both have cutting edges arranged adjacent to each other. Both cutters are mounted to rotate about respective horizontal axes 2b, 3b perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of movement of the envelopes. An annular groove 4 is provided alongside the bottom cutter to receive the cut-off edges of the envelopes. However, the cut-off edges and chaff from envelopes often get trapped in this groove, which in the end impedes subsequent cutting operations.
Moreover, human intervention is necessary to remove all the paper that has accumulated in the groove. It would consequently be of interest to have available a machine that remedies at least one of the drawbacks referred to above.